The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1887-12-13
vows HE WAS FROZEN TO DEATH.
Captain Zeby's Wonderful Ride in the Hard
Winter of '39 and 40.
From the New York Sun.


Captain Zeby's Wonderful Ride in the Hard
Winter of 80 and 40.
From the New York Sun.
"Whenever cold weather begins TO an
proach, says Captain II. L. Zoby of Union
town, II can't help thinking OF the remarkable
winter of 80 and 40, when 1 was frozen to
death-froZen square. plumb to death. sir
Nobody was ever frozen any deader than was
but had the luck to be called back to life
And that coming back over the boundary
makes me ache yet to think of It'll / didn't
mind the dying. That was rather pleasure
But the coming to lifel If l ever freeze to
death again I'll leave word some way that tho
man who resuscitates me does so at his peril.
That was great winter that winter of 80
and 40. And the fall of '39 wasn't so COM
mon, either. Neither was the spring of 40
I'll tell you why. The first snow of the sea-
son fell on October 3, 49, The last snow came
down on May IL in 40. Between these two
OF the level all the time, and where the wind
had good chance at it twenty feet wasn't any
thing uncommon. We had seigling for over
eight months, and the thermometer fer five
months was at no time higher than twenty
above zero, while the most of the time it
sported fifteen degrees and twenty degrees
below This memorable fall winter and spring
L am speaking of may not have been so
memorable III this part of the country. 1t was
in New England where L encountered them,
and especially in Maine, where L then lived.
Ii they were as memorable as that hereabout,
maybe some of you will recolect them
In February, 1910, had an interest in some
lumber way up in the Piscataquis region, and
had to go up there and see how things were
getting along 1t was o long journey, but the
sleighDg was like glass and had one of the
best horses that ever stood inside the thils.
On my second day out the thermometer stood
at 20' below and was inclined to 20 lower.
knew would reach one of those queer little
Villages common to the Maine backwoods
early i'll the evening. There intended to stay
all night, and drive on next morning to the
house OF the agent of the lumber property,
twelve miles further along, i reached the vii
lage, and found that there was no tavern there
Accommodations were offered me at . private
house, but was informed that / could not OBJ
tain drop OF water for my horse in the entire
settlement. There had been no rain since
winter set in, and there wasn't a well nor q
spring anywhere in the region in which there
was drop of water. Tho nearest water was
III the Piscataquis river, two miles away to
which the few stock in the village were driven
every day to drink, and enough water was
brought back in buckets to keep the wants of
the villagers supplied.
This, OF course, upset my plans. My horse
was badly in need of water, and I couldn't
think OF letting him go all night without a
drink, so L ate supper in the village and
started on, intending to water my horse at the
river and proceed to the agents the same
night. 1t was starlight night, but the air
was 1llled with that peculiar frozen mist fire.
quenty noticeable on very cold nights AS
we neared the river this haze became denser
until finally it was with difficulty could see
anything ahead of me. 1t was like passing
through storm of sealy ice. Suddenly, as L
was thinking that we must be almost on The
margin OF the river, there came cracking
sound, a loud splash of water, and the next
second my horse was tloundering about in
water, which also covered the sleigh, the robes
a ana myself up to my waist, In that
thick bank OF icy mist the horse had
plunged into the river below where
we had been told to cross, and had broken
through the thin ice that had formed since the
ice had been cut away that evening for the
purpose OF allowing the village cattle to drink.
The water splashed about by the horse soon
drenchod the rest of me, and in less time than
! can tell it was coated with o rapidly tIliel1-
enng armor of ice. / guess my noble beast
must have floundered at least minute in that
hole before he knew exactly what had hap
pened. When the situation did come to him
he became quiet, threw his fore feet up, and
lodged them both in the ice with n concerted
blow like trip hammer. The ice was thick,
but beneath that blow an immense cake was
broken Off and was carried down in under the
edgeo the ice below. The horse swan on,
dragging the sleigh with it through the rapid
ly freezing slush. Once more ne pounded the
ice ahead of him with his powerful fore feet,
and again the ice yielded During all this time
/ was shouting for help. / might, at the first
break, have turned and leaped back TO shore,
but had not collected myself in time. 1t was
now too late, ana even If IL had not been, /
was so stiflened by the casing Of ice that /
couldn't have moved to save myself from
death. The horse kept on, and, strange as
the story seems, broke channel for
fifty feet across that river, and drew
the sleigh out safely ON the other
side. And he didn't tarry when he
got there, but started of the top of his
speed toward our destination. lie soon
struck the road and away we went. j knew
that although one danger was escaped, q
greater was before us, and ! urged the horse
on with my voice. My robes and clothing had
frozen SO solid that III / had been encased in
iron | could not have been more motonless.
My horse was jet black, but his icy coating
made him stand out, even in that frozen mist,
like spectre horse. / could not move even
my hands. We were not vet half way to the
agents house when j found myself growing
drowsy. ] could no9ongcr use my voice. The
CHATTER Of the horses hOOfs and the cracking Of
the runners on the ice sounded to me
like thunder claps and werd hideous
cries. j knew that j was freeZ-
ing, but labored hard to rouse my will and
fight with it against my fate. Tho stars looked
like great Goals Of fire, although before they
could be seen but dimly through the peculiar
haze. The trees, with their branches covered
with snow, took on the shapes OF gigantic
ghosts. Still preserved all my powers Of rea-
soning. Finally ! felt myself growing delic-
iously warm. A laDguor such as Dc Quincy
might have described, with attending visions
OF loyelness took possession Of me. i heard
the most delightful music. Still ! made one
mental effort 10 shake off this fatal spell, and
that WAS ALL
81 don't know how far was from the agents
house when ] froze to death, but the next
thing / remembered ! was suffering such tor
lures as a victim Of the rack might feel. lie
never felt worse. Suddenly, at my feet, the
pricking Of million needles assaulted my
flesh. Torturing me at that spota moment,
my leg, stopped an instant. as If glOatlug in
my misery, and then crawlcd with that awful
pain slowly upward, until it seemed that tiny
jets Of the liercest fame were being blown into
my body, heart, and brain. 1hc intensity If
this agony was not constant. hit had been !
would have died again ia q short time. IL
came in waves. 80 10 speak. Each wave was
little less furious than It's predecessor, until
nj last the storm was passed, and found my
self weak, speechless, limp, and helpless
mortal, lying on robe before the fireplace Of